Food prices during the Great Depression

Food prices during the Great Depression

The food prices of the Great Depression in the 1930s were a paradox when you look back and consider that everything was so cheap and at the same time far too expensive for many people at that time.

Food prices were less of a problem for those who were employed during the Great Depression, as they could afford the essentials and perhaps a few extras like a movie or ice cream. But for the unfortunate who were unemployed, even basic everyday needs were completely out of reach.

Actually, it wasn't that food prices were high, but it was the lack or absence of money that kept most of the things people not only wanted but needed at arm's length or on the other side of the store's glass window.

Imagine not being able to walk to the store and get the groceries, clothing, and, if necessary, medication you want. and then not being able to afford the mortgage or rent or electricity or gas for cooking. Could you go without?

Who could deal with such inconveniences in our formerly prosperous times, when we are accustomed to turning on the light switch and turning on the automatic coffee maker in the morning to dilute a portion of those twelve dollars? – a pound of grounds we bought at the specialty coffee kitchen – after already enjoying a $6 Mocha Grande with friends.

There is no such thing for families in their dire circumstances during the Great Depression. Imagine just buying a plain cup of coffee (if you can get one today) with cream and sugar for five cents. a two-egg-bacon-toast-with-a-slice-of-cake-and-a-cup-of-coffee breakfast for 25 cents; or a candy bar for a dime.

It doesn't sound like much, except that those who were employed may have only earned $2 or $3 a day, but unless you have those few small coins, Great Depression food prices seemed pretty high! For those who had money, life was undoubtedly more pleasant, even considering the time, but for those who had to scratch and scrape to put food on the table, their days were full of worries and strife.

Many mothers often went without food so that their children had more to eat. She didn't spend her pennies foolishly when she had them, but used them on the things that were crucial to her family's survival. She would make every cent.

Because money was so tight during the Great Depression, families often ran out of what little they might have acquired through some kind of work or perhaps by scoffing at something of sentimental value.

And to make matters worse, families' lives were often endangered or drastically challenged as the men left for other parts of the country to look for work. Some men never returned but turned to illegal activities in the hope of profit or alcohol to worsen their own and their family's problems. Some even decided to commit suicide.

In any case, most people had nowhere to turn because borrowing from their neighbors or relatives would cause them more problems. Local businesses may have extended loans to certain people, but they were rarely let off the hook to pay up, as some people continued to pay off outstanding bills following the Great Depression long after the war ended.

Money - or the lack of it - was the main thing that dominated millions of lives for many years at the beginning of this century. And today is no different. Money still rules for many people in one way or another.

Difficult times are coming again for those who do not believe this, as many people around the world are already affected by our economic crisis. I note the current rising grocery prices (or, realistically, the declining dollar value) as a half-empty grocery bag costs a lot more today than it did not long ago.

But hey! There is hope, and for those who are informed, there is no need to be surprised and led to despair by these difficult times ahead. We can take precautions and plan and prepare for our now and future lifestyle management by staying ahead of the game.

We can learn more about the food prices of the Great Depression and valuable ways we can prepare ourselves and our families for what, in some form, depending on our circumstances, will be similar or worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Inspired by Erin Smith